White Mother Sues Sperm Bank After Birth of Mixed-Race Daughter

Chicago-area sperm bank is being sued by an Ohio woman for mistakenly giving her vials from an African-American donor, reports [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].

Jennifer Cramblett, who is white, filed a lawsuit stating that Midwest Sperm Bank gave her the vials of a black man instead of the white man she and her partner had chosen. Documents show that Cramblett and her partner, Amanda Zinkon, chose donor No. 380, who is white. However, they were sent the sperm from donor No. 330, who is black.

When the couple ordered more vials so that they could have more children using sperm from the original white donor they claim they requested, it was then that they realized the initial donor didn’t match the one they requested. But by then, Cramblett was pregnant.

Cramblett is suing the sperm bank for “wrongful birth and breach of warranty, citing the emotional and economic losses she has suffered,” the Tribune reports.

The lawsuit states, “On August 21, 2012, Jennifer gave birth to Payton, a beautiful, obviously mixed-race baby girl. Jennifer bonded with Payton easily and she and Amanda love her very much. Even so, Jennifer lives each day with fears, anxieties and uncertainty about her future and Payton’s future.”Cramblett and her partner have stated that there are challenges to raising Payton in the small, virtually all-white town of Uniontown, Ohio. Cramblett stated in the lawsuit that she was raised in a community that held racially intolerant beliefs about people of color. Cramblett did not meet any black Americans until she attended college. The lawsuit states that it is because of her upbringing that “Jennifer acknowledges her limited cultural competency relative to African-Americans and steep learning curve, particularly in small, homogenous Uniontown, which she regards as too racially intolerant.”

One of the couple’s concerns involves getting Payton’s hair done. It requires Cramblett to travel to a black community where she is “not overtly welcome.”

Further, Cramblett is concerned about her family, which the lawsuit states is an “all white and unconsciously insensitive family.” The lawsuit goes on to say, “Though compelled to repress her individuality amongst family members, Payton’s differences are irrepressible, and Jennifer does not want Payton to feel stigmatized or unrecognized due simply to the circumstances of her birth.

Jennifer’s stress and anxiety intensify when she envisions Payton entering an all-white school.”Cramblett’s therapist has suggested that she and her partner move to a more racially diverse area for the now 2-year-old child’s psychological health.

This is just complete ignorance on the mother's part. I can understand her being upset because the clinic fucked up and didn't give her the correct sperm, but she seems to ONLY be upset because her daughter is mixed and she's racist; although she's trying to make it seem like it's just her family who's racist. I wonder if she'd still be upset if the mixed up sperm was a different white man...

I understand how this could be upsetting, this couple went through many profiles for potential donors and chose one just for there to be a mix up. I agree with Ash that she seems mostly concerned with the race aspect of it. It sounds to me that this couple is just out for money in a lawsuit and they are using their child to gain money.

I would like to note that this couple is a lesbian couple. I have nothing against LBGT people, but I find it interesting that she is pulling the race issues to support her cause. If she and her partner live in a very conservative area being gay yet they have no problems with people discriminating against them (It seems that Right wing/conservative/Christians would have more of a problem with HER sexual orientation then a mixed child) then why would they cause problems for a child of mixed race? If her neighbors and town are welcoming to her then I think that they would be welcoming to the child as well. And if she and her partner are discriminated against for their sexual orientation already in that town then maybe moving to a more welcoming area would be better for their family all together. Not that I'm saying that they should have to leave, but why would you stay somewhere that you are unwelcome? Anyway, the point is that they have already tested the waters with this town, they either want their family there or they don't. But they can't use this childs race as the sole reason that they are not or would not feel welcome there. As I said before, it just sounds to me like they are using the race card to gain sympathy for their defense. They do have cause to sue, they were givin the wrong sperm but I think they are just grasping at straws by pulling the race card.

I can understand being mad, I really could especially after paying for one thing and getting something else but in the end there is a beautiful child that has been born and they really should be grateful.

It was wrong. They chose and i guess paid for one and got something different. They can sue for that only. They dont have to pull the race card to sue. This poor child. I bet nobody stops to think how she will feel when she gets older and see's, hear's, and reads her parents statements.

I feel for these ladies! In more than one way. On one hand, they spent their time & money on this and decided between them on 380. Their hopes & dreams were all on this number. Whether you like to romanticise the "normal" way of doing things or not, this was their way & was obviously a very emotional process for both of them.

I have to admire the fact that being from this town & growing up with these so called types of people they were open-minded enough not to abort based on their daughters race alone. That to me says alot about them.

Where my thoughts start to go to a different place is the fact they feel this way about where they come from. Why not move? Why not go to a non denominational church? Why not learn how to do her hair themselves or hire someone to come to them?

I agree with taking it to court just for the fact that something like this should never happen again but to add all of these other little accounts into it is just frivolous imo.

Either way they definitely have a case & have every right to stand up to this company they used and make sure no one else finds out this has happened when its too late.